2024 DECLUTTERING CAMPAIGN MrsSD

GrannyKate

Quick post again as no internet until 30th of month.  Sorry Mr F is not so well.  The total boxes was 109 packed and we have emptied just over half.  Trying to organise the important items.  Snow late last night but sleet later so roads were nearly clear for school run this morning.  DD got safely to her meeting and will go home from there.  

1619 Three sets of curtains taken to be shortened
1620 Two bags to CS
1621 Car boot full to tip
1622 Keys collected from solicitor (good job we already had a set to move in Friday) and new extra keys bought
1623 Microwave ordered for collection tomorrow (old one went in recycling as manky)
1624 Small cupboard to tip - I paid £5 for it 10 years ago so its done well
1625 TV engineer and broadband booked for next week
1626 Window fitter booked - need to replace a few at a time but distinct draft in loo so will start with that
1627 Plumber booked to check over boiler and heating
1628 Roofer booked for next week

basketcase

Weekend – Edinburgh, so decluttered:

• Contact lenses
• Package (Christmas shopping)
• Christmas decorations - some did come back, though not her tree decs, most of the tinsel, the lights, a small LED tree, a Nativity scene in a glass dome, candles
• Tree support
• 1 bag of Christmas decorations for charity shop
• 30 cans of Coke Zero
• My sewing machine – temporary lend because hers is still buried away in the “Will you keep it till I’ve ripped the place apart, decorated and actually got some shelves?  Pleeeeease…” pile.  (Because she’d picked up some green velvet curtains which, not being floor length, she’s turning into covers for the cushions and seats of her sofa.)

No NSDs, as suspected.  I thought I’d got away with Sunday because I spent nothing at the Christmas Market and DD treated us to hot chocolates at Hotel Chocolat.  (Cheaper and better than at the Market!)  Then we went and did a heavy shop before I came home, so I bought my fresh stuff there.

I think I’m going to have to revise my definition of NSDs.  At present it includes all spending.  So, if I nip out for a bottle of milk – even though we have a ‘petty cash box’ budgetted into the shopping for fresh stuff – I count it as ‘spending’.  Maybe differentiate between necessary items and unplanned and/or unbudgeted spends?

 

Monday – I was really tired and cold (-1degC ‘feels’ -9degC)

• Unloaded car
• Put Christmas boxes away and laundry to wash
• One bag recycling
• Leftovers for lunch and tea
• Gathered together all paperwork to sort Tuesday+
• NSD.

 Physical decluttering:

·         As above

Alligator Wrangling:

• Well, I gathered all the papers and equipment for filing.  Not exactly wrangling, though.  More prodding a small lizard with a stick…🤣

NSDs

9/15

Duchess2

@basketcase haha like the poking the lizard.😃 @GrannyKate WOW you are doing so well. Such a lot to get organised. @Florenceem. You get so much further in life if you are firm but polite. Let’s hope you get some progress now. Washing done and TD’d because of the snow, a little progress with the ironing and declutterred the other half of an ebook. Cupasoup that was Jan 2024 (still tasted delish) and hm cheese scones for lunch and looking forward to lo veggie curry for tea. Keep cosy

suzeesu2000

Decluttered some curry from freezer which DH heated for us both and was superb, just the ticket as is quite chilly here today. Also, over the past two days, have scanned, filed and shredded an entire years worth of paperwork! that wont be happening again! Decided that, in future, it will be dealt with as it arrives. Shredded paper will come in handy when I send the kids presents as packaging.

basketcase

A quiet day for decluttering today.  I’m tired because I didn’t get a good night’s sleep.  Hoping for an earlyish night tonight, so 🤞.

It was another chilly day today, though warmer than yesterday.  It only dropped to -1°C briefly.  However, we’re highly amused by the fact that our new car whinges if the temperature drops below 4°C.  It even has a symbol on the dashboard and a dinger so you know it’s suffering!  When I wondered why 4°C, DS replied "Because it's a wimp?" 🤣

It’s been snowing on and off all day.  Which blew my plan to go to the allotment out of the water.  Anyway, decluttering…

Physical decluttering:

• 2 loads of washing and associated ironing done
• One bag general recycling
• 1 basket and 1 container full of filing-type stationery (dividers and manilla folders etc).  Kept for re-use, so can’t really be passed on, now recycled
• 5 minute tidies continue, but I keep forgetting to mention them!  It’s mostly things like washing up, emptying bins etc

 Lizard Prodding:

• The stationery mentioned above related to admin and was actually an ordinary frog.  
• Next amphibian/reptile to be tackled is bringing a metal filing box into use.  Tomorrow I think I’ll sort into categories, try to label all the hanging files and see where we go from there.

NSD

I got one!  So now 10/15

London_1

Florenceem, so glad you stood your ground and got both an appointment and the blood test. Well done hopefully there can be something done to help you both as the worry of it isn't helping you either.

Very wet and chilly here today so had a pottering day indoors then this afternoon watched the run of the first Wolf Hall on IPlayer.
 I have read all of the Wolf Hall  books, and I can sit a watch Mark Rylance all day long .He has the most expressive face and eyes and his whole face lights up when he smiles. Rather dishy even for this old woman

Our builders are hoping to finish on Friday fingers crossed, so my sitting room is getting closer by the day.Once they are gone then we can get the carpet man in He has the carpet already to install for me.

 Electrician should have come today but his little baby boy was rushed into hospital, so he obviously went with his wife. Totally understandable and I don't mind ,the little one is his priority.

Its supposed to be sunny but dry at least tomorrow so I may nip into Newport to pick up a present for my son-in-law as its his birthday next week. DD is going to sound him out as to what he might like I usually buy him something to wear.

Hope everyone is warm and safe and be careful in the snow I know it got down to London as one of my DGS sent me a video of it this afternoon in Finchley ,time for a cuppa ,

night night God bless all here 
 
JackieO xx

vulpix

Hi, hope you are all keeping warm. - 4 here atm but we don't have too much snow  so not really any disruption on the roads.

 Very nice drawers TC77.

 Good that you stuck to your guns Florenceem, and asked for a lift. Everyone is rooting for you. No one wants a repeat of what you had last year. xx

 So the studio flooring frog is eaten. Only a few odds and ends binned. A plastic storage set of drawers to list on Thrift. We did unearth some small, oak, filing card drawers which came from my Mum's. I am going to get them sanded and buy some hairpin legs and make them into a side table. The only place it can go is where my sewing box / stool is now . I have photographed the sewing box and will list it for sale tomorrow. Randomly there is a Sylvanian families canal boat in the studio! That can go home with DD1 when she visits at the weekend.

 A proper sort out of the studio awaits for warmer weather, although Mr V has spent this morning in there tidying up wires. 

 I can't remember if I already said, but for the charity shop 600g of chunky wool I cannot get on with. I have also knitted 4 hats for the Christmas fair on Saturday. Also made more things for the Christmas tree festival. All using stuff up which is great. 

 For the food bank, toothpaste bought in error.

 Also out, numerous socks with holes.

 We are going to Llandudno tomorrow. A call at Abakhan on the way home. If you know, you know!

 Vx

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

1. Write a daily To Do list - only 3 tasks 

2. Sort out sleep patterns - target bed by 2:00 a.m. & up by 10:00 a.m 

3. Deal with mail & email on a daily basis

4. Don’t put it down, put it away + deal with mini tasks as soon as they are noticed e.g. refill olive oil pourer or salt cellar, stitch up a hole in a garment etc

5. Commence ‘Operation Frog Tickling’ using the acronym - I.R.I.S. (Identify, Research, Implement, Sign Off) - One per quarter

6. Continue to keep kitchen clean & tidy - before going to bed

Monday: Forgot to mention that DH & I finished off the last of the hm soup 😋 It rained on & off all day. Dinner was delicious. Wudupa.

Rained heavily overnight & Tuesday was another damp miserable day, not sure about the forecast high of 11°C as it was only 6°C at 13:00 with temperatures on the way Down 🤔 I received another birthday card today from one of DH’s nieces even though she had sent a text on the day 😊 DH was up early to watch the post season MotoGP testing + braved the wet weather to fill the bird feeders. Rained on & off for the rest of the day. I spent the afternoon knitting & napping. Dinner was spaghetti bolognaise. Wudupa

100 - 105 Kitchen & DSis bedroom recycling, drinks cans, 2 cardboard boxes, paper packaging - recycled 

106 - 108 Kitchen, lr & DSis bedroom detritus - binned

TC77, very pleased to hear that most of your dad’s furniture has at least a temporary home 😊 Good luck with the repairs 🍀

Excellent decluttering ~FlowerPot~ 👏 How lovely that DS1 took you out to lunch 🥹 Hopefully it will be a standing arrangement every few weeks 😉

Florenceem, another very busy Monday 🤩 Sorry to hear that MrF doesn’t seem to be improving 😔 although hopefully now that he has admitted he isn’t well, you might be able to get him to the doctor for a diagnosis & treatment plan 🙏

London_1, sounds like a successful shopping trip 😊 Definitely classes as decluttering if you are losing weight intentionally 👏

Lovely post Duchess2 😊 Re your “get up and go” I do believe I saw it hand in hand with mine at the airport jetting off to sunnier & warmer climes 😂

Excellent decluttering Happy_Kitties 👏 Hopefully you can deliver the kitchen items this week 🤞

I have caught up a little but will try harder tomorrow 🤞Sleep tight 😴

MrsSD: I AM A ⭐️ - 🥇 🎖️ 💐 🌟 🏅 💐 🎖️ 💐 ⭐️ 💐 💐 🥇 ⭐️ ⭐️ 💐 ⭐️ ⭐️ 🎖️🎖️ 💐💐⭐️

DH Awards: IS A 💎🏅 🌟 🥰 🏅🏅

DSis Awards: 🏅 💐 💐 🤗 ⭐️ ⭐️

Decluttering Target 2024: 2029/2024: New Target 366: 108/366

1p Savings Challenge Running Total: £681.70

London_1

Good morning chums, just decluttered the last payment to the builder ,he's done an excellent job and I'm pleased with it He should be gone by Friday than we can get the carpet and flooring chap in.

Hopefully I will have my sitting room all sorted by the end of next week.

No snow here but a pretty hard frost overnight, and my son-in-law rushing around trying to find where he put the deicer and scraper for the car this morning as he drops my DD off at work every morning.
I know I have some somewhere its just a case of finding it .Most of the stuff when we moved was in the garage and obviously we had to move it out when the builders started working and Simon boxed everything up and put it under the stairs in a cupboard so once the builders have gone we will be turning out the boxes from there to find bits and pieces.
I can see more decluttering to be done I think

keep wrapped up and warm chums

JackieO xx 

dND

Hi all,

I’ve been keeping my head down as I didn’t want to jinx things, (again), but… the RSJ is in and the plastering should be finished today. The electricians came back on the 12th and re-checked the system so with luck I should get the certification in the next week or so.🤞

Apart from replacing the extractor fan that has died - apparently about 50% of the ones they installed at the beginning of the year have done the same, so a faulty batch is suspected - I will then have the house to myself.  I can then unpack and think about how to decorate it as it's now full of stuff.  Current plan is to do the ceilings and then a wall at a time.  Small chunks that I can manage.

But before that I need to empty the summerhouse so that I can empty the plants from what passes as a greenhouse, (lots of broken and missing panes of glass), into it.  Nothing is ever simple or straightforward in my life, it seems! 🤣🤣

All that’s left is the parking bay which is outside so shouldn’t interfere in my day-to-day life – apart from having to be at the house.

But, I think I can finally say, “Let the decluttering begin”.  It will start with a lot of money to the builder, followed by Black Friday purchases, (maybe), for the freezer/cooker/etc., etc..

@Grannykate – I’m so glad that you’re in, I really felt for you having gone through similar.

@London_1 – Your builders sound amazing, definitely keepers.

Love to everyone else who have been keeping me sane and keeping me encouraged to do what I could and not dwell on what I couldn’t do. 💕💕

To all who have health issues for themselves or nearest and dearest, I wish you all the best; this is such a supportive thread with lots of life experiences to draw on. 

Dxx